Love Underneath the drooping sakura trees
by KaruTaku
Summary: The countries go to Japan for an important meeting, and are thrown into battle. Throughout the story, a mix of drama, comedy, and action, Arthur, to his great annoyance, can't help being drawn to Alfred. Gets better over time. xD USxUK. :3
1. Drama and Comedy in the bathhouse!

Ch 1

*USUK Yaoi fanfic* *Note: I did put the nation in parenthesis after their names. I know it took me forever to memorize them. ;3 *

"I am sincerely honored that everyone decided to hold the next war meeting here," a lithe figure bowed, his dark hair swaying with the forward momentum.

A young man with brilliant blue eyes and caramel hair stepped forward, a grin upon his face.

"Of course! Japan, you should know: as a hero, I must travel everywhere!" Alfred F. Jones (America)laughed, eliciting a groan from the blonde haired man beside him. His eyes were a striking green, the olive costume he wore only furthering their effect.

"The ride here was so bloody long," he grumbled, with a short glare at the chortling blonde figure, "Imagine sitting next to him on the plane."

Another blonde figure chose this time to glid forward, quite eye-catching in a flashy blue and red costume. He sighed joyfully, glancing around him.

"Ah, the memories this place brings," he sang out, "The last time I came here was when I was looking for Iggy."

Honda Kiku (Japan) flushed slightly, remembering his guests' "Iggy search." It involved France bursting into Kiku's home like a _namehage_ demon and searching for the elusive England within the bewildered Japan's clothing.

"Don't look for me, you wine freak," Arthur Kirkland (England) scowled. Francis Bonnefoy (France) decided to throw in one last insult involving something about unicorns and superstition, resulting in the shorter blonde-haired country throwing himself upon him with a threat of, "I'll tear every hair out of your bloody beard out!"

"Oh… How interesting~" A figure with brown hair and violet eyes watched the brawl with a smile. Ivan Braginski (Russia) regarded England with amused eyes, "This is so fun~~"

Meanwhile, other countries in attendance, Wang Yao (China), Im Yong Soo (Korea), Matthew Williams (Canada-san), Toris Lorinaitis (Lithuania),Romano Vargas (S. Italy), Gilbert Weillschmidt (Prussia), Roderich Edelstein (Austria), and Vash Zwingli (Switzerland) successfully managed to somehow start an argument. China was unsuccessfully trying to bribe the energetic Yong Soo with sweets in an attempt to get the spirited young country from annoying the short-tempered Gilbert. Toris panicked and Romano watched the heating-up brawl while sipping on a tomato. Roderich and Vash regarded each other, the tension so strong it was almost tenacious. Matthew circled around the brawling group, completely overlooked.

"Don't you think we should stop arguing and start the meeting?!" A tall man with slicked back hair slammed his hand into a nearby building, causing everyone to jump. Kiku winced as the fragile screen door on the house rattled dangerously.

There was a sudden lull in the mayhem as they all glanced at the towering figure. Ludwig (Germany) gazed seriously at the already disorganized party, "Japan prepared us a meeting room, so let's go into it already!"

The silence was broken by a blissful young man with a strange strand of curled hair poking up. Feliciano (Italy) wandered into a room Kiku indicated, muttering, "I wonder if pasta will be served…" The rest of the countries decided it would be beneficial to follow suit.

Within the meeting room, everyone seemed to pull themselves considerably, even with Alfred attempting to lead the strategy discussion while chomping on hamburger. The situation was simple: Nation-less warriors were challenging the world order. It was decided that by using a variety of tactics and brute force, the countries would bring them down.

"Thank you for working so hard," Kiku spoke to everyone after the meeting was over, "I have three bath-houses prepared, so please relax." He paused, blushing under the weight of the leadership position that holding the meeting in Japan automatically gave him, "We can begin our assault tomorrow."

All the countries expressed their will to unwind and immediately headedin the direction Kiku pointed them in. Japan himself was in a bath-house with Arthur, Alfred, and Francis. The first three mentioned countries glanced at each other in horror that they would be bathing with the France. However, no one had the guts to say anything as they sank into the water.

"Would anyone like to come visit me after we're done here? Without dressing first, of course." France immediately started an erotic conversation. Kiku and Arthur blushed in shock.

"W-What the hell are you saying, you wine freak?" Arthur sputtered. Alfred, however, seemed unfazed. He threw his head back and laughed, much to the amazement of Kiku.

"I'm a hero!" the joyful country grinned, "I have no time to waste in your room!"

"Ah, you aren't as fun as England." Francis began to lean towards Arthur. England scooted back, his movements almost perfect synced with the suggestive country's.

"Get the bloody hell away from me," Arthur protested, unwilling to start a fight with a naked France. He continued retreating, until he bumped into a solid object. Startled, England glanced up and noticed he was now leaning against America's arm. He flushed, portions of astonishment, humiliation, and anger. Kiku sat silently across from the three countries, unable to help but feel relieved that he was not involved in this.

"You two actually look quite good together," Francis stopped his assault, a sly grin upon his face. Arthur stammered an indignant response, pushed into a state of shock-overload. Alfred chortled, still seeming unfazed.

"Heroes look good with anyone!"

Arthur jolted, noticing that Alfred didn't deny what France said. What was this fool, always so casual about everything? Irked at his finding, he turned towards America.

"You are the most imbecilic hero I have ever met."

"Oh, I forgot," Alfred blinked at the shorter country, "You're an idiot. Of course there's no way you can comprehend how awesome I am."

"Shut up." England turned away, pretending to blanch in disgust. He reached for a towel, "I'm leaving."

In the changing room, Arthur slipped into a _jinbei_ that Japan lent him with a frown creasing his forehead. France was truly an idiot, he thought. What the bloody hell was that wine freak thinking, saying that they looked good together? Who wanted to be coupled with America? Arthur shuddered. Ah well, it's not like England cared what that imbecilic hero thought about him.

…Right?


	2. Why is parting so lonely?

Ch 2

*A USxUK yaoi fanfic for my friend* *If you don't know nation names, then go back and read chapter one! D: * *Or go on the livejournal thing for Hetalia and read the simple character introduction. ;3 *

~The next day~ The nations assembled outside, glancing at each other. A mixture of excitement and apprehension pervaded all of their senses. After all, the world had been at peace for so long, but now, everyone was prepared to fight once again. Kiku walked about with a hat, each country reaching in and randomly selecting a piece of paper with an attack group labeled on it. It ended up as:

North assault: Japan, England, Korea, Italy; East assault: Austria, Switzerland, Prussia, China; South assault: America, France, Canada, Romano; West assault: Russia, Germany, Lithuania.

"Umm… The groups are uneven," Toris (Lithuania - He's a hard one for me, so here's a freebie. :3 ) piped up, glancing timidly at the two intimidating members that he would have to be cooperating with, "The West assault army only has three countries."

"Brilliant observation," Arthur responded cynically, "Considering there are 4 attack groups and only 15 countries are assembled, it seems rather hard to help it, though."

Lithuania blushed and closed his mouth.

"Please don't worry yourself," Kiku said to the abashed country, "Russia-san and Germany-san are powerful, so you should be safe with their protection." Toris was unable to help but think, glancing once again at the stoic Ludwig and macabre Ivan: _But it's not the enemy I'm worried about..._

Romano rolled his eyes, "Why am I stuck here without Spain? And I'm a different group than my brother as well!" He spun around, his finger accusingly directed towards Germany, "This is all your fault!"

There was a silence as everyone couldn't help but think: _But you chose your group out of the hat._ Germany turned away, unable to put a lid on the enthusiastic country.

"Don't be angry, brother." Feliciano patted Romano, "America is really nice and strong. He isn't scary like Germany. And his hamburgers have tomatoes in them. I think you'll like being with him."

"Hahaha~ Seems you finally understand me, Italy," Alfred grinned, "Everyone likes to hang out with a hero!"

"What an (idiotic) assumption, America!" Arthur smirked, "Only a (idiotic) hero like you could possibly come up with such an (idiotic) conclusion. No need to worry about a (idiotic) country such as yourself."

"Wow, England. You seem to really look up to me!"

Arthur grimaced at the carefree country's inability to understand sarcasm and shut his mouth. Crossing his arms, he couldn't help but reminisce. America had always shown tremendous growth, and now even timid Italy seemed to trust him. Alfred and Arthur were like two glaciers, unable to help but drift apart. He frowned. It was all because that stupid twit had to succeed from him! They seemed so far apart now, each destined to attack in an opposite direction. So far away from the time that young Alfred had chosen the crying England as his big brother. Arthur couldn't help but feel a little…

…Lonely?

"Can we stop secretly insulting each other and get a move on?!" Ludwig bellowed. Toris jerked, silently hoping that he would be able to survive his group. The enemy was nothing in comparison.

"Ah, stop shouting, aru," Wang Yao plugged his ear, "We'll leave now, aru."

The Oriental Country glanced over at the rest of the group he was in and paused. He could help but get his attention caught by Roderich, who seemed to be lugging some sort of cloth-covered car behind him. There was a silence as the rest of the nations stared in disbelief at Austria.

"…What is that?" Yong Soo finally asked.

Roderich stopped, pushing up his glasses to glare at the incredulous company.

"It's my piano, of course. I can't go onto the battlefield without it. Well," he turned towards Prussia and Switzerland casually, as if he hadn't just said something extremely extraordinary, "Are you two dolts coming or not?"

Gilbert and Vash, still shocked, followed the other two members of the East assault out, and the latter was heard to mutter, "He really is helpless without Hungary, after all."

"Well~ Time for us to go as well." Ivan grinned, holding a water-pipe in one hand and towing a trembling Toris in the other, "Come along, Germany, Lithuania."

After they had left, the North and South assault groups exchanged glances. Somehow, the countries in these groups had formed some sort of friendship. Each felt as if they shouldn't leave without saying something. Francis broke the awkward silence.

"Adieu~" he took Arthur's hand, "Let us reunite after our battle so I can mess up your embroidery even more."

"Go get yourself killed, you wine freak…"

Kiku and Alfred shook hands. Alfred smiled amiably, "Well, good luck, Japan."

"Same to you, America-san."

Arthur wrestled the teasing Francis off of him and was unable to help but steal a glance towards Alfred, who noticed and waved towards him. "Don't die, England."

"Whose going to die, you idiot?" Arthur grumbled, turning away.

Feliciano waved his white flag, "Good luck, Nii-chan~"

"I don't need luck, you idiot," Romano sneered, before his large bronze eyes softened, "But take care of yourself, Veneciano."

Yong Soo took this moment to cling onto Kiku.

"Let's go, Aniki!"

Japan jolted, but was unable to help but agree. He threw Yong Soo off of him and glanced towards Feliciano and Arthur, who nodded their consent. So it was like this that the North and South assault groups parted ways. (And poor Canada-san is still overlooked.)

*Sorry it's short, but I wanted to get it up. :3 *


	3. Ambush! Why don't I want him to help?

Ch 3

*A USxUK Yaoi fanfic for my friend* *Yeah. You know the drill about nation names. :3 *

"What the hell is this?" Arthur turned around the strange device Kiku gave him. Japan sighed, reaching over and taking the machine from the indignant country's hand. He brushed back England's choppy hair and clipped it to his ear.

"It's a new radio I invented," Kiku explained, "I gave these out to the other 3 assault groups already. With this, everyone can call for back-up whenever they need to."

"Ve…ve…ve…"

"What the…?" Arthur glanced up in shock. Feliciano had pressed down the recording button on his radio and was making strange sounds into it.

"Please stop that, Italy-san." Kiku watched the carefree country, "Everyone can hear you like this."

The group had paused in a lush forest. As the North assault group, their destination was Hokkaido, the northeast island of Japan. From there, they would launch fighter jets to the continent of EurAsia, where they would engage in battle with the rebels there.

"Bloody hell," Arthur grumbled, as they continued to walk. Sweat had begun streaming from face and raised an arm to wipe it off impatiently with his sleeve. "It's so damn humid here. Can't we walk any faster?"

"Stop complaining," Yong Soo frowned, putting his hands on his hips, "Hey, Aniki, as punishment, can this guy's breasts belong to me as well?"

"…No one's chest belongs to you." Kiku replied quietly, but the damage had already been done.

"My what, you twit?" Arthur drew himself up to his full height, which still wasn't too much, frankly. His cheeks reddened and he drew a book out of nowhere, "Say that again, and I'll put a curse on you."

"…Oh, how scary," Korea responded with a broad grin, patting Arthur on the back, "I don't think I need to fear a guy like you."

Whatever retort England had ready was immediately drowned out by Feliciano's wailing and the _pata pata_ of his white flag, "Noo~ England, please don't put a curse on anyone. It's scary, it's scary!" He pressed down the record button on his radio and shouted, "Germany! Germany! Help! England wants to put a curse on Korea. SAVE ME!!"

Japan sighed, rubbing his forehead with two fingers. It seemed the North assault group would take longer to get to Hokkaido than expected. Suddenly, the keen-eared country heard a rustling among the leaves of the trees. He glanced up, drawing his _katana._ It was immediately put to use as a bullet whizzed by him. Hastily, he swung, knocking the bullet to the side. The other three countries heard the gunshot and stopped fighting each other. Arthur reached his holsters, drawing two handguns. His green eyes narrowed at he shot into the foliage. In response, warriors swathed in black leapt down, each holding a rifle.

"Pata~ Pata~ Pata~" Feliciano drew his flag, waving it for all he was worth. Yong Soo crouched down in a _taekwondo_ position, his fists raised. The young country rushed towards the assaulters and struck out left and right. Kiku engaged them similarly, his _katana_ flashing in the green light.

The amount of the enemy seemed overwhelming. Waves of black rushed relentlessly at the countries, the unmerciful numbers trying to crush them. Arthur had been driven back towards the trees; his hands trembling from the exertion wielding his guns for so long had given them. Yong Soo had begun breathing harder, his blows landing softer and softer. Kiku's sword was not as swift as before, his slices seeming more random than calculated. And Feliciano? Well, I guess you could say his white flag waving had become slightly sluggish…

"China-san, come in!" Kiku had pressed onto the radio, "We're getting ambushed."

There was a slight sound of static, before Wang Yao's annoyed voice could be heard.

"I would help if I could," the nation sounded strained, and his gasps could be heard, "But we're getting attacked too, aru!"

The Oriental country had been contacted by Japan in the middle of a large crowd. His wok and spoon flashing, he burst through the numbers of black-clothed figures. Vash whirled throughout the enemies, his Swiss army knives flashing a hot white from the glare of the afternoon soon. Gilbert gave a shout and dashed into the fray, waving his huge broadsword. Meanwhile, Roderich was hard at work perfecting his piano skills. His powers graced the battlefield with epic music, but other than that, was rather useless. Yao grimaced as a bullet grazed his shoulder, bringing on the sweat that was already pouring from every pore on his body.

"Aiyah~ We need back-up as well! Japan, try the West assault, aru!"

Kiku deflected another blow aimed for his head and glanced towards Feliciano.

"Italy-san, can I trust you to contact…" His voice trailed off. Feliciano had already pressed down his radio and was sobbing into it.

"GERMANY, GERMANY, HELP! HELP~~~~~~!"

The deep voice of Ludwig responded immediately, "Japan. I heard what you were discussing with China. We've been ambushed as well. The enemy probably had a spy. These guys are aiming to destroy."

Germany glanced about him, watching the crushing numbers surge towards his group. Ivan seemed unfazed, wielding his water-pipe with skill and power. Even Toris was doing well holding his own, his sword fending and dealing many powerful blows. Ludwig himself drew his pistol and was a strong force, shooting with one hand and dealing blows with the other.

"We are probably able to hold out," Ludwig continued, "But we are in no position to offer help. Perhaps South…?"

This elicited another wail from Feliciano.

"It's fine," Arthur said suddenly into the radio, "We've stabilized."

Kiku glanced at his group. True to England's word, the tide of battle was slowly turning in their favor. Arthur had once again advanced, the enemy falling before his unrelenting bullets. Yong Soo's blows kept their effect on the now-fatigued opposition. Japan himself noticed that his slow strokes were not so disadvantaged now that their victims had become sluggish as well.

"We aren't doing so well, aru!" China's voice cut into the radio again, "Austria has been bludgeoned unconscious, aru! I don't think we can hold out for much longer!"

"We fucking can and we fucking will! We're too awesome to lose!" Gilbert shouted, swinging his sword in a wide arc, "Austria was weak in the first place!"

"We _will_ manage somehow," Vash agreed, "But, nonetheless… Austria…" A touch of concern crept into his normally unruffled voice.

"Aiyah~ You two are so stubborn, aru! South assault, come in!" China glared at his hotheaded companions.

"This is the hero speaking! I heard your request, China. We're coming now. There's absolutely nothing happening near the Shikoku region."

"Help appreciated, aru! But the enemy here are extremely strong. The Honshu region must be extremely important to them, aru."

"It's the core of Japan," Kiku muttered, "It's quite powerful. Please look out for yourself, America-san."

"Waah~" Feliciano wailed, trembling, "Why does my brother have to go to such a scary place?"

"Shut up!" Romano grumbled, "There's no need for you to worry about me."

Meanwhile, Arthur frowned. He shouldn't be affected by the fact that the South assault was able to assist the East, but for some reason, he didn't want them too. His hand had strayed towards his ear and he noticed that he had planned to radio in to warn America to be careful. He scowled at himself and grasped his gun harder, shooting down another enemy just to loosen the tension. _That idiot isn't worth worrying about._

Yet, Arthur didn't want to think of the possibility that America could die.


	4. I can't help being drawn to him

Ch 4

*A USxUK Yaoi fanfic for my friend* *I think I'm getting redundant. Maybe I'll shut up now. x3 *

Alfred could hear the sounds of combat up ahead. His gut burned with feverish excitement for the battle that was now so close. A few minutes more, and the struggling figures of the East assault came into view. Wang Yao was valiantly attempting to hold everyone off with only his wok, his left arm hanging uselessly by his side. Vash was nearly doubled over, pearls of liquid rushing off of him as the extreme speed his fighting style required took a lot out of him. Gilbert had cuts from grazing bullets lining his body. Roderich was slumped over on his piano. The state these nations were in didn't faze Alfred. He was here to help them now. After all, as the hero, it was his duty to protect everyone, right?

He drew his assault rifle, and there was a slight rustle as Matthew took out a shotgun behind him. Romano set a box on the floor and, while taking shelter behind a nearby boulder, revealed the contents to be a unique mix of grenades and tomatoes. Francis brandished a musket, earning him a blink from Alfred.

"Isn't that… a bit old?"

"It seems no one remembers how amazing France is," was the almost tearful response, "I can fight with _anything._"

"Hahaha~" Alfred laughed, "Alright, this hero will rescue everyone! Attack!"

-xxx-

A few hours later~

Kiku glanced back at Arthur.

"You've been extremely quiet ever since the South assault group went into battle."

"Should you be calling me quiet?" Arthur glanced with a somewhat irked expression at the normally silent Oriental country, "I'm just tired from that bloody battle. Let's hurry up and get to the planes already."

Rubbing at the back of his head in frustration, England increased his pace, leaving the other 3 countries almost panting to catch up. Why _was_ he being so quiet? He couldn't be worried about that twat that seceded from him so long ago, could he? That _couldn't_ be it. He laughed nervously. He was just tired. Yes, that was it. He was just god-damned tired…

Suddenly, light appeared from up ahead, cutting through the unrelenting emerald-ness of the forest.

"We're here."

The sound of jet engines burst through the air. The North assault group stepped out into the open. Four brilliant jets waited for them, their wings outstretched and prepared for flight. A man rushed forward and spoke in quick Japanese to Kiku. The nation blinked back at his companions and bowed.

"They're ready to take off now."

The group exchanged glances and each slowly climbed into a plane. For some reason, they were taken aback by how sudden they were to leave, but it couldn't be helped, considering how long they had been held back by the unexpected ambush. However, no one made a complaint as they started the machines and took to the sky.

-xxx-

Meanwhile…

"Why the hell are these bastards so strong?"

Romano was forced out of his shelter one more time by a well placed gunshot. Carrying an armful of tomatoes and grenades, he launched them randomly into the crowd, exploding some opposition while blinding the rest with the red fruit. (*Note* Yes, a tomato is a fruit. :3 )

"Fuck!" Gilbert shouted suddenly, "They got France!"

"Well… France _was_ using a musket," Alfred reasoned, but even his morale had decreased a bit. They had been fighting for a while now and the opposition showed no sign of giving up.

"I… can't keep… this up much… longer…" Vash had gone to lean against a tree, his fingers barely keeping their grip upon his weapons.

Only the overlooked Matthew seemed to be holding out somewhat. He had retreated into the cover of the trees and was sniping. However, he noticed with alarm that his bullets were being depleted astonishingly fast. Compared to the overwhelming amount of enemy, his measly ammunition supply was nothing.

"I think we need help again, aru!" Wang Yao groaned, "America, could you radio in for the West again? My arm…"

He slid underneath a bullet, and with a heave of his right arm, used to momentum to propel himself forward, knocking over the man who had attempted to gun him down. Alfred watched him, worry beginning to crease his features. But, of course, heroes did need sidekicks. He withdrew from the battle, pressing down the device.

"Germany, can you hear me? This is America."

There was a slight pause, and then Ludwig responded, "Yeah. I'm here."

"We need back-up," America used the butt of his rifle to knock away the enemy attempting to take him down, "Can the West assault group respond?"

"Ah… we've already set out in the assault vessel. Oi, Russia, how long will it take us to reach Honshu?"

"Ehh…?" Russia's voice was also audible on the radio, "We've been sailing for an hour now. So, around an hour and a half?"

"We can't hold out for that long!" Vash cut in impatiently, "We need help within the next half an hour! What about the North assault group?"

"But their destination is EurAsia!" Ludwig responded, "We can not forsake it. If EurAsia is taken, then we might as well roll over and surrender now!"

"But--!" Vash tried to say, before the start of his yell of pain was heard. His line went eerily silent.

"SWITZERLAND!" Alfred shouted, before he disconnected from the radio as well. He spied the small-framed country getting bludgeoned by the waves of black. Rushing into the fray, he struck out with the butt of his rifle again and again. However, his heroic antics had little effect, as the enemies were shooting at him from point-blank. It wasn't long before the barrel of a gun was pointed straight as his forehead. Suddenly, a large figure loomed before him. The figure wore a small pin attached to his outfit, spelling out: _Vice Capt_. It put a hand on the gunman who was threatening Alfred.

"This one's the leader. Let's take him prisoner."

Arthur's grip on the steering wheel of the jet tightened. Alfred's anguished shout for Vash had shaken him far more than he would have liked. Most likely, that idiot had thrown himself into nameless peril for his friend. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He had to concentrate on the flight ahead. It was as Germany had said. If EurAsia was taken, then the entire battle was lost.

"FUCK!" Gilbert's voice suddenly sounded in England's ear. He jolted and, without thinking, pressed down the record button.

"Are you trying to give me a heart-attack, Prussia? What's going on?"

"Switzerland lost consciousness as well!" There was no mistaking the strain in his voice. It didn't sound right to Arthur. The smirking Prussia suddenly so worried, "And those bastards took America!"

"_WHAT?!_"

Arthur's blood began to race and he lost his voice. Suddenly, Kiku's calm voice radioed in as well. Though there was a tremble of anxiety in his tone, Japan otherwise seemed to keep his composure.

"Please tell us what happened, Prussia-san."

"What the fuck is there to tell?" Prussia growled, and a grunt of exertion was heard as he beat off another enemy, "America went to help Switzerland, who had been knocked unconscious. Some big bastard appeared, smacked America on the head, took him and ran."

Arthur could almost hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Without thinking, he suddenly shifted his hands, turning his jet around. His fingers hastily turned some dials and his plane roared, rushing back towards Japan.

"Ehh…? England, where are you going?" Feliciano's voice sounded.

Arthur blinked in shock. He didn't even notice that he was speeding in the opposite direction. His face flushed and he stammered slightly, "I am…"

"…going to help your friend, right?" Kiku slid back into the conversation, "Please, go ahead, England-san. Korea-san, Italy-san, and I will take care of EurAsia. We don't anything to happen to America-san either."

"…It's not that I care what happens to that twat!" England protested, sputtering slightly, "But, I can't help… I can't help…"

He paused. Can't help what? He couldn't help thinking back to all the scenes he had shared with America. He had gotten drunk in front of America, tried to curse America, offered America ice cream, gotten a hamburger placed on his forehead by America and…

"You can't help being drawn to him… right?" Kiku responded. By this time, Arthur had turned a brilliant red. However, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I suppose."

And his plane nose-dived towards Japan.


	5. Will I be relieved when I find him?

Ch 5

"Blast!" Arthur scanned the ground, his fingers throttling the steering wheel. His jet was skimming close to the ground, his frantic eyes searching about him. He had been flying for hours now, still no sight of Alfred. Kiku was still hard at work, attempting to track the weak waves from Alfred's radio. However, it was impossible for even the technologically-advanced nation to concentrate on a dying signal while driving a jet. So far, the only information he had is that America's assaulters were heading north. Suddenly, something sounded in Arthur's ear as one of the country's tuned in. _Please be Japan_! he thought, _Please give me a lead on America._

"This is Romano."

There was no mistaking the sinking disappointment in Arthur's stomach. He shook himself, struggling for his lost composure. He was being too kind, getting so worried over an idiot like America. America didn't deserve saving. Especially from a powerful country such as England.

"Nii-chan! You're alright!" Feliciano radioed in, the tears of relief audible in his voice.

"Of course I am!" Romano snapped.

"I'm so glad! Are you hurt anywhere?" Feliciano began blubbering. Arthur could almost hear the tears flowing from his eyes. An uncomfortable thought passed his mind. Would he be that comforted if he managed to save America? _No,_ he thought, _that's preposterous. Who would cry for that idiot?_

"Don't cry!" Romano scolded, "I called to say that we drove back the enemy attacking the East assault group. France, Austria, Switzerland, and now China are unconscious. Canada, Prussia, and I managed to finish off the rest."

Gilbert's voice sounded suddenly, "I'm too awesome to be defeated by some…"

"EH? THEY KNOCKED OUT ANIKI?" Yong Soo shouted, completing drowning out Gilbert, "Is he alright?!"

"Stop yelling, you long-sleeved bastard," Romano grumbled. There was another change of frequency, and a soft voice came in.

"Don't worry, Korea," Matthew said, "All the unconscious nations should recover."

"I'm so relieved…"

Arthur gritted his teeth. So everyone was fine except for America? He turned the steering wheel rather hard, circling back into the sky for another scan.

"England-san?" Kiku called. Arthur jolted, and immediately pressed a hand to his ear.

"Yes, I'm here Japan. Did you get a lead?"

"Yes."

The previously dignified country slumped in his chair, and the hand holding down the record button began trembling. However, he prided himself in not crying. _I'm too old for that sentimental stuff anyways,_ he thought to himself. Even alone, he had to keep his self-possession.

"I found a broken frequency of the path they took," Kiku said, his business-like voice flowing through, "Seems they headed for Sapporo, and then set off there. They paused for a long time at a port, so I assume that they're traveling by ship. They are currently sailing east on the Pacific Ocean, most likely heading for North America."

"Understood."

Arthur leveled his jet upwards, his hands fiddling with the buttons. Immediately, his jet shot off, heading at a north-east angle through Sapporo. Within minutes, he was sailing over the ocean. By this time, it was already night, and the murky waves lapped at each other ominously, the smooth black liquid sliding over each other, devouring each other. His eyes straining, he watched for any sign of a ship, fearing that the darkness of night would swallow the vessel. He needn't have worried. A few trips over the waves and a hulking battleship loomed before him. He reached up once again.

"Japan, I think I found them."

"Good job, England-san. Let me see if I can match the frequency."

Suddenly, Arthur's jet began beeping. There was a slight whirring and clicking sound.

"What the hell is going on, Japan?"

"Oh. Sorry, England-san, I forgot to warn you." Kiku sounded sheepish, "I took the liberty of installing a few tools on these jets. Right now, I'm activating the night-vision cameras and radio wave detector. This won't take more than a few seconds."

There was another moment of beeping, before Kiku spoke up triumphantly, "No doubt. America-san is in that ship. Luckily for us, the enemy didn't notice his radio. Now, England-san, would you like landing instructions? I can scan for blind spots on that ship with a few other tools I installed…"

Arthur gaped. Japan was so prepared. "Err… Y-yeah, go ahead."

"Okay. England-san, please pull your jet a little to the left so you are facing the metal mast on the starboard side. The watches there are asleep right now." Arthur complied. "Now when I tell you to, glide down at a 45 degree angle. You should land on the runway. Please wait for my call. There is another watch at the security cameras. I need to determine when the camera is turned away from the runway."

Arthur swallowed. If he landed, there was no turning back. He didn't even have a plan. Let's say that everything went well. He lands, dilly-ho, finds Alfred… And then…? Could the two of them defeat an entire battleship? Surely the crew would search for Alfred if he suddenly went missing. And even if they could hide, what happens when the ship reaches land? Could they make a run for it? Scowling, Arthur shook his head. He obviously didn't have enough self-possession yet. If he did, then there was no way he'd put himself in so much danger to save one twat.

"NOW, ENGLAND-SAN!"

Arthur steeled his resolution, angled his plane, and turning off all engines, plummeted towards the ship.

"The button to your left, England-san!" Kiku's called urgently, "Press it!"

Obediently, Arthur reached his hand out and smacked a large yellow button. There was a slight whoosh as hot air was emitted from the jet, slowing its plunge and landing it softly on the deck. He had done it. Cautiously, he glanced about him. As Kiku had mentioned, the guards were sprawled on the floor, snoring slightly.

"Don't relax yet, England-san," Kiku had lowered his voice to a whisper, "We need to guide your jet into their pod. Hopefully, it won't be discovered that way."

"Help appreciated." Arthur muttered, and following Japan's instructions, managed to direct the jet into a garage with others like it. Once inside, he sighed. The first trial had been successfully passed.

"Alright, England-san. After you leave the plane, you are on your own. I will be of no further use. Please be careful."

"Understood. Thank you, Japan."

Deliberately, the door to the jet opened. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Arthur leapt silently off the plane, landing with catlike grace on his feet. He had to take advantage of the cover of night and find Alfred. With the glittering cameras the he glimpsed about him, if he attempted to search during the day, he would definite get caught. After a quick estimation, he judged that he had around three hours before sunrise. _Wait for me America! _he thought, and dashed off into the darkness.

_A/N *Mm~ Sorry if this chapter was a bit slow. I thought it was necessary. O: There were tons of hidden hints in this chapter about the true identity of the bad guys. :3 And not only that, but it'd be rather abrupt if I didn't write about England-san's search for America-san, right? (: Things speed up more in the next chapter~ Please look forward to it! *_


	6. I just got something in both my eyes!

Ch 6

A/N: *_Yeah. I admit it. The previous chapter was quite boring. (But still necessary. D: I'm not giving up on that. ) So, to make it up to you guys, here's another chapter. :3 I'm going to aim for a chapter a day, at least. But… I have this serious condition where if I type too much, my fingers fall off, and… Nevermind. I'm just lazy. (: _*

The sound of boots. Arthur rushed behind a wall as another guard group passed by him. Bloody hell! How many of them were there? An hour and a half had passed, and still no sign of Alfred. Now would be a good time for Japan's certain voice to radio in. Ah, but Arthur was alone. He turned his head, inspecting the pipes that lined the walls of the ship. He must have descended at least six decks already. Arthur's vision was already getting blurry from the lack of sleep. He tried to focus his vision on his hand through narrowed eyes, but it swam before him. His head drooped, his choppy bangs brushing into his eyes. He was trying so hard. For no good reason at all.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Arthur tensed suddenly, his half-closed eyes snapping open. He couldn't have been found!

"I need to check on the prisoner. Vice Captain's orders."

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief at not being discovered, before swallowing hard. Could he mean America? He summoned up his courage and glanced around the wall, catching a glimpse of the two guards talking to each other.

"Black Sea? I'll need some sort of verification."

The shorter one seemed to be in charge, but once his companion flashed him a badge, he backed down. The taller one, whom Arthur recognized as the owner of the voice who was visiting "the prisoner" turned away with a smug smile and entered a building. He waited until the other one also turned his back, before silently flitting in after the Black Sea. It took his eyes to adjust to the almost pitch black darkness of the structure. At the end of the hallway, the Brit suddenly spotted the flickering light of a candle. At the moment, it was moving slowly. Cautiously, Arthur followed it down the long corridor. It continued for a while longer, before stopping. Ducking behind another large pipe, the Brit heard the creaking sound of an opening door.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH~!"

There was no mistaking that laugh.

"Are you here to free me? You should know that the good guys always win right? I'll definitely prevail, because I'm a hero!"

The door immediately slammed shut. Arthur allowed himself a satisfied grin. So even the enemy couldn't stand America. Who knows how much morale damage his annoying laughter had probably caused the enemy?

"Noisy twit."

"I agree. America really _does _need to learn how to shut up."

Arthur stepped out into the open, his guns pointed towards the Black Sea. The guard drew back, his eyes wide in fear.

"E-England! H-how'd you get here?"

"So you guys are behind the uprising, hmm?" the Brit stepped forward, his multiple eyebrows scrunched in a smirk, completely ignoring the terrified guard's inquiry, "The bodies of water? You might as well give up now. You can't take the countries, you twats."

In response, the Black Sea backed even further down the hall. There was a slight thud as he hit a wall. Arthur's evil grin broadened. The anger mark was visible on his forehead as he thought of all the trouble he had gone through both emotionally and physically to get on this ship. And, in the England's mind, it was all this poor guard's fault. It was time to unleash all of his British fury.

"I'll make you pay for making me come all the way over here to rescue America."

*Censored* *Please stand by* :3

Arthur stepped away from the unconscious body of water, the keys to Alfred's cell gripped in one hand and a candle in the other. Pausing in front of the same door the Black Sea had slammed just a second before, the Brit couldn't help but tremble slightly. In what? Anticipation? Dread?

…Longing?

It didn't matter. America was right behind this door. Steeling himself, he inserted the keys into the knob. There was that painful second of twisting, before the door swung open. Arthur's eyes widened as he caught sight of Alfred. The boisterous country had been chained to a large metal pole. His clothing was ripped and bloody and his bomber jacket was in a dejected lump beside him. Blood dripped from a cut on his cheek and another wound unseen underneath the nation's hair. A small bruise was on the left corner of his lip, and others were visible lining America's bared left arm, as his sleeve had been ripped off. Noticing that he was no longer alone, Alfred glanced up, his wide eyes still glittering behind his glasses.

"England? Is that you?"

There was a silence before Arthur could force anything resembling a voice out of his throat.

"Of course it's me, you idiot."

"No need to be so mean," Alfred mock-pouted, before smiling at England, "Are you planning to untie me or are you going to stand there, staring?"

Forcing his legs to move, Arthur strode across the room, blushing furiously. He knelt besides Alfred, his quivering fingers working hard to undo the chains that bound him. America continued to smile calmly, his eyes closed, naïve trust radiating off of him. There was a slight clink, and the links slid off of the country.

"Thanks, England." He turned towards the Brit, and Arthur couldn't help but notice how deep his blue eyes were. They seemed to engulf him in the childish innocence that its owner embodied. "For some reason, I knew you'd come."

"Why wouldn't I come, you ungrateful twat?"

Suddenly, Alfred leaned over and engulfed the older nation in a bone-crushing hug. Arthur stiffened slightly in surprise, but slowly brought his arms up to return the embrace. He closed his eyes, noticing something uncomfortably hot welling in the corners of them. Alfred must have noticed too, because a second later, he drew back.

"Are you _crying,_ England?"

Arthur's eyes shot open, and his familiar scowl returned.

"I just got something in both my eyes, you twat!"


	7. Time to take matters into my own hands

A/N *_Sorry I didn't upload daily. Working on other fanfics. Yeah. I write whatever I feel like; I'm so selfish. Gomenasai~ Anyhow, as apology, this will be a long chapter. ;D (I _hope _you find that to be a good thing.)_*

Ch 7

"Umm… England?" Alfred blinked, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "You can stop crying now…"

"I'm telling you, I have stuff in my eyes, you twat!" Arthur snapped, struggling to return to his usual state of tea-sipping composure, "There's so much bloody dust on this ship. They need to clean up once in a while. Enough about me! How do we escape this vessel undetected?"

Suddenly, Arthur felt two hands grasping at his shoulder. He closed his eyes as he felt himself being forced back, his back making contact with the pole Alfred had been tied to a second ago. Gritting his teeth and lifting an eyelid, he saw Alfred leaning towards him, with a serious expression on his normally carefree face. Flickering in those azure eyes of him were a feeling that had no place in such a place: Fear. Since when did America feel fear? Though he would rather die than admit it, it scared Arthur as well.

"W-What the hell, America?"

"We can't run. There is no _escape _off this ship, England," Alfred whispered, his mouth next to the Brit's ear. Arthur blushed as he felt the younger country's breath stirring his hair, "The only way we'll get off alive is if we overtake this ship. If we can't even do that, then there's no way we can win this entire battle."

"What are you talking about?"

Alfred leaned back, "Did you manage to find out this vessel's destination?"

Arthur flushed, this time at his lack of competence, "N-no. But that was because I was running around trying to save you, you bloody git!"

"Straight to the boss," Alfred answered himself, completely ignoring England's indignant sputtering, "Through various tactics, I managed to find out the identity of the bosses. There are four. I think you can guess…"

A/N *_By _various tactics, _Alfred means annoying the crap out of the Black Sea until he told him what was going on. Strategy includes singing Maru Kaite Chikyuu, laughing like crazy, calling himself a hero… and stuff._*

"The _oceans?_" Arthur answered incredulously, "Do they honestly think…?"

"Look at what they did to me, the hero."

Arthur complied, his eyes resting on America's sorry state. In a twisted way, the amount of damage the bodies of water had managed to inflict made sense. The oceans made up most of Earth, so obviously their numbers were crushing, but this kind of power sent chills down Arthur's spine. Even though everyone scoffed at the self-proclaimed hero, Alfred _had _built up reputation and seemed almost…well, invincible.

"The boss is the Pacific Ocean," Alfred continued, "But the person commandeering this ship is the vice captain, the Atlantic Ocean. If the two of us can't even tame the vice captain…" Alfred paused, a pained smile of utter defeat upon his face, "…then can you imagine how everyone'd fare against the boss himself?"

Arthur crossed his arms. There was no debating it. Butt-kicking it was, then.

"Where's your rifle?"

"They took it from me."

As expected. Withdrawing one of his handguns from its holster, Arthur handed it Alfred, along with a few packs of bullets. Alfred accepted it, with a shocked expression on his face.

"A-are you sure? You've always been better at fighting with more than one…"

"Shut up!" Arthur shouted, and striding to America, grasped the taller country by the collar, "You're always worrying about other people, you twat! Look at your state! Worry about yourself once in a while, why don't you?!"

"But it's the hero's job to take care of others…" Alfred muttered, but noticing some murderous intent coming into Arthur's glare, gave a resigned smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "But I suppose you're right. Thanks, England."

Mumbling unfriendly things about America under his breath, Arthur stormed out of the room. There was a momentary sound of banging and gunshots as the Brit took out his anger on some unfortunate guards on watch outside. Grinning at how easily flustered Arthur was, Alfred followed the other country into now the rising sun, forcing his battered body into combat once more. The murky red light brought out the blood-stained state of his clothes and pummeled his wounds. But he wouldn't let England see how tired he was. The green-clad nation had already worried about him too much. It was time for the hero to take matters into his own hands.

Arthur easily slashed through the enemy ranks, putting his single pistol to good use. Though he had not had his wounds treated from the previous battle, for some reason, fighting back to back with Alfred gave the shorter nation some strength. As if now that Alfred was here, everything was alright. But, of course, that made America sound far too much like the hero he claimed to be.

"Do you know where the Captain's quarters are?" Arthur turned back to shout to Alfred after they had taken care of all the watches on deck, before his eyes widened. America wasn't there. Suddenly, he heard the sound of an engine being started.

Turning around, the Brit spied America driving a jet. Not just any jet. His jet. The jet England had flown all over Japan looking for the troublesome younger country. Alfred's hand was pressed down on his right ear, and a second later, Arthur could hear his voice buzzing in his ear.

"Japan~~ Are you there?"

There was a crackling sound, before Kiku responded.

"America-san! Is that you?"

"Yeah. England saved me," he turned to grin at Arthur, who was climbing into the jet, muttering curses under his breath. "Listen, Japan, we need your help."

"I will do all I can, America-san."

"Using the technology you installed on this jet, can you figure out where the Captain's cabin is?"

A shocked pause, then

"Are you planning to take over the ship, America-san? I hate argue with you, but I would highly advise against it!"

Alfred's face hardened, and he hurriedly gave Kiku the same information he had given Alfred in his cell. After he was finished explaining, he murmured, "It's up to you whether or not to help us, Japan. But new guards will be on the deck any second now."

Kiku remained silent. He was worried. Though he hasn't seen America for himself, he knew the country was probably in horrible shape. He wouldn't even want Alfred to overtake a toy sailboat, much less a huge battle vessel. But if what America said was true…

"What are you waiting for, Japan?" Vash's voice snapped suddenly, "You heard the guy! Hurry up and give America directions to kick the Atlantic Ocean's butt!"

"Switzerland! You're alright?" There was no mistaking the delighted tone in Alfred's voice.

"This idiot woke up an hour ago," Gilbert spoke up, "Wouldn't stop worrying about you, America. Which would've been fine, but he wouldn't let me get my awesome beauty sleep."

"Shut up, Prussia!" Vash responded, "I…err… America… I wanted to thank you for saving me. Yeah…"

Alfred laughed, "No problem! It's the hero's job after all!"

"America-san, please turn the jet to face the other direction," Kiku had began talking again, his voice resolute; in the end, there was no way he'd leave such a kind country in turmoil. He only hoped that Alfred knew what he was doing, "I locked onto the Atlantic Ocean's location."

"Aw…" Alfred cooed, "Thanks Japan!"

Arthur closed his eyes and Kiku's calming voice guided Alfred to the Captain's Quarters. He remembered how Kiku had done the same for him just the previous night, when he had been trying to rescue America. And now the young nation was sitting beside him, steering the jet like the true aviator he was. Arthur couldn't help but feel a bit… happy.

"Okay, stop here and then descend two decks. You'll find him two rooms down to your left. Good luck, America-san, England-san!"

After thanking Kiku one more time, the two nations jumped off the jet. Within a minute, they were in front of the Atlantic Ocean's cabin. Exchanging unwavering glances, the two countries kicked down the door. Or rather, Alfred did, while Arthur stood to the side with a shocked expression at how brash his companion was. The Atlantic Ocean was sitting at a large desk in the corner. He glanced up slowly, putting down his pen.

"So you've escaped, hmm?" he got up. Arthur couldn't help noticing with horror at how muscular a body of water was. Suddenly, the ocean glanced at him, before back at Alfred, "I see… This man saved you, didn't he?"

He strode over to Arthur and, without warning, punched him in the stomach. The country doubled over, gasping in pain and shock. Before either he or Alfred could react, the booted foot of the Atlantic Ocean followed, dealing him a kick in his side. He felt a few of his ribs crack. Then, a series of crippling blows followed. Through the faint hearing that his now failing senses were giving him, Arthur could hear Alfred calling out his name, see him attempting to wrench the burly ocean off of him. And then everything blacked out.

"What was that for?" Alfred shouted, finally summoning enough strength to drag the Atlantic Ocean away from his friend. He was met with a smack across his face.

"Both of you are more trouble than you're worth."

And immediately, the point of a gun was leveled at his forehead. Alfred gulped, but forced the tips of his trembling lips to turn upwards. It looked like it was finally the hero's time to save the people that mattered to him.

A/N *_Sorry if that was boring. ): I don't _think _it is. I was super distracted while writing this because I have to pick up textbooks, ect., for high school today. That's enough to make you unproductive for weeks if you're a slacker like me~ Please support the selfish me. ^ ^; Look forward to the next chapter_*


	8. Trust in him, America

A/N *_In the end, guilt overcame me for uploading a stupid note instead of a full chapter, so I decided to procrastinate on my reading and get up the _real _chapter 8. I'm a pro at cramming anyways. :3 English teachers love me and hate me at the same time. xD Btw, I'll delete the Author Note after I finish reading Sense and Sensibility. It's ugly. x; _*

Ch 8

"Goodbye."

The Atlantic Ocean pressed down on the trigger. Eyes narrowed, Alfred grabbed on to Arthur and rolled out of the way. America's glasses slipped off his nose, sliding along the floor with a loud clatter. The jolt caused the older nation to stir slightly.

"What the hell, America? Run!"

Alfred grinned down at Arthur, "What do you think? I'm gonna save you, England! Because I'm the hero!"

Reaching out, he grasped his glasses. Putting them on, Alfred turned towards the Atlantic Ocean, Arthur's pistol in his hand.

"You… idiot…" Arthur breathed, before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Ignoring him, Alfred watched his opponent carefully. For some reason, seeing England so badly beat up really angered the young nation. His heart was fired, and there was no more of the naïve country who tried to start a world summit by munching on hamburgers. Instead, there was a true leader. As the Atlantic Ocean prepared to shoot, Alfred's clear vision could see the bunching of the muscles in his chest. Suddenly launching himself to the right, he flung himself upon the larger enemy, deliberately driving him away from the insensible Arthur.

"What the--?" the Atlantic Ocean asked, figuring out Alfred's plan, "Why do you put yourself in so much danger for him?"

"None of your business," Alfred responded, and bringing up the butt of the pistol, hit the Atlantic Ocean on the temple as hard as he could. His adversary staggered and roared, throwing the lithe country off of him. Alfred skidded along the floor, his vision getting blurry. _Not yet,_ he thought, forcing himself to his feet. His foe also appeared unsteady. Whoever won the last blow won all.

The Atlantic Ocean seemed to realize this as well. He crouched down and, in one last amazing feat of strength, launched himself towards Alfred. Unwilling to kill, America shot once, catching his opponent in the shoulder. The body of water bellowed in pain, but kept on coming. He collided with Alfred, bringing both of them down. Also summoning the last of his vigor, Alfred focused on that wounded shoulder, shooting rapidly until the force of the bullets lifted his foe bodily off him. The Atlantic Ocean slammed into the ground next to him, twitched one last time, then moved no more. Satisfied that Arthur was no longer in danger, Alfred finally allowed the raging blackness to overcome him.

-xxx-

He awoke to worried whispering.

"He pushed himself too far…" Feliciano crossed his arms, sighing. He was sitting on a chair, leaning on Romano. "He should've fallen unconscious a long time before he did, and I think the added stress had some negative effects on his body."

"Since when have you been this smart?" Romano grumbled, "You change so much when I'm not around."

"Germany taught me some medical stuff~" the other twin responded, earning himself a pout and lecture from Romano to stop hanging out with those kinds of people. Arthur stood to the side of them, freshly bandaged and watching with a slight smile on his face. Suddenly, he glanced towards Alfred, who was attempting to prop himself up on the bed. His lips parted slightly, and he rushed over, forcing the younger nation down.

"Don't push yourself!" Arthur shouted, his previous I'm-an-old-gentleman-watching-two-cute-rascals-arguing demeanor gone. The previously mentioned rascals exchanged glances, grinning at each other. England was acting… different.

"Fine, fine," America moped, "Where am I?"

"Japan's house."

"Eehh~~?!" Alfred shouted, "Then what's Italy doing here? Shouldn't you guys be heading towards EurAsia?"

"Well…" Feliciano rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile, "When you guys stopped responding on the radio, Japan made me turn back to check on you. When I found you, he ordered me to return to his house and take care of you two. He and Korea are still going to EurAsia. They found out that the Indian Ocean is there."

Alfred trembled. With their forces so diminished, he had no idea how the North attack group would fare. And he was the reason it was so few in number in the first place. Both Arthur and Feliciano had to save him. Some hero he was.

"Japan…" he muttered.

Arthur watched his friend. He thought back to when he found out what Kiku had done. There had been much sputtering before he had finally regained his composure. He had never regretted the Anglo-Japanese alliance, but this was going a bit too far. Of course it had been a lie when he insisted to Kiku that he had formed it only for himself. That Japan… he was still relatively new to world affairs, but he put so much on his own shoulders.

"I have to go help him!" Alfred shouted suddenly and, attempting to get out of his bed, got tangled in the sheets and fell royally on his face.

"You aren't in any position to be helping anyone, aru." Wang Yao strode into the room, his left arm in a sling. He grimaced down at Alfred and, throwing something into the tangled mass of blankets where America's arms were supposed to be, said, "Japan told me to give this to you. He said that you and England might enjoy playing it while you two are recovering, aru."

Alfred glanced down at the small box that had been flung into his arms. In bold flaming letters, the cover read Dynasty Warriors 6.

A/N *_I love that game. xD There was _no way _I could've resisted mentioning it. :3 _*

"But…" Alfred glanced at China. Though the game looked tantalizingly fun, he knew he couldn't play when a friend was in danger. He could feel his sapphire eyes widening as the tears began to swim in them.

"Don't give me that look, aru!" Wang Yao shied away from Alfred's puppy eyes. The immortal nation sighed, shaking his head, "You know, America, you're always worried about yourself being the hero. I think what you don't notice is that the rest of us are strong too, aru. Japan is _my _boasted-about little brother. I think he's more capable than you give him credit for. Trust in him, aru."

"I think he's right," Arthur added, "Japan has never let me down before."

Alfred fell silent. It was true that in his conceited thoughts about himself being a hero, he had never really seen what the other nations were capable about. He glanced down regretfully at sorry state he was in, looking more like a deformed ghost than a hero. And no matter how small and frail-seeming Kiku was, Alfred knew he couldn't never imagine the Oriental country losing. Yes, he should have more faith in Kiku… he _needed _to have more faith in Kiku. He gripped Dynasty Warriors 6 tightly, and turning to Arthur, shouted, "Let's beat this game, and when Japan comes back, I'll play him on versus mode in Dynasty Warriors 4 and kick his butt!"

And, in his jet, Kiku sneezed violently. _Must be the allergies brought on by my old age,_ he mused.

A/N *_Hope you liked it~ Please review! It's what keeps me going. And also, I'm taking advantage of my sort-of-hiatus to post a few polls on my profile about future chapters. The most _**IMPORTANT**_ question is: Would you like to follow around characters while Alfred and Arthur recover? This would mean that I would take a break from our two healing main characters and write about Japan's battle, the West assault (who you guys probably already forgot about. xD), and other countries, both recovering and fighting. _Please, PLEASE ANSWER THIS!_ and if you're too lazy to go to my polls, than post it in your review. Thank you so much~~ -Bows- _*

A/N *_And about that last corny joke, I'm pretty sure about 99% of you know where it's from, but just to make sure, in Asian cultures, it's said people sneeze when others talk about them. Yeah._*


	9. Hey Arthur, how will he fare?

A/N *_Guess whose back? The (few) results of the poll are in~! With this, I have decided on the course of the story, all the way until the end~! (I've been dilly-dallying up until now, just writing whatever.) Most people preferred _not _having Italy-cest, with the only pairing being USUK. It also appears that more lovey-dovey scenes must be added~ Now, for the most important question, most people seem to want to stick with Arthur and Alfred~! However, an equal amount added together wants to see Japan's battle and follow everyone around. So, I shall compromise. ;3 The result is the promised 2800+ word chapter upon my return! This is a special Kiku-san chapter about his battle as well as stuff that happens during it. After this, it's Arthur and Alfred until the end. Enjoy~! And yes, I _am _a Nihon-san fan. (: _*

Ch 9

Kiku settled back in his seat, closing his eyes. If he and Yong Soo managed to defeat the Indian Ocean, then 2 of the 4 bosses would be down. A drop of sweat rolled down from his face and he hastily wiped it away, as if trying to hide it from invisible eyes. Had he been wise in sending Feliciano back? Had he overestimated his own abilities? He shook it off with simple explanation.

_I must be getting paranoid in my old age._

It wasn't in the country's humble nature to call his "paranoia" bravery.

"Korea-san, dip down here," he spoke, sighting a large island within the expanse of blue. It shimmered, the reflection of the waves dancing around it. Upon their landing and his disembarkation from his jet, Kiku observed that it seemed to be a cheery place. Trees swayed in the warm breeze, and in the distance, a large fortress loomed. The walls were made of polished marble, and the turrets extended elegantly, stairways curving around them, stretching for the sky.

"Is that the headquarters of the Indian Ocean?" Yong Soo alighted from his jet, his landing causing two small grooves in the sand. Kiku watched the shifting of the shimmering particles as Yong Soo kicked his feet, causing showers of yellow dust to intersperse in the wind.

"Yes."

"Then let's go!"

-xxx-

"STOP DYING!" Alfred wailed, setting down his controller.

Arthur sighed, watching the screen depict: _ZhuGe Liang slain!_ once again, to his severe disappointment. He had chosen that character because he seemed gentlemanly and smart, but hey, he fought with a fan. Alfred turned on his multiple-eyebrowed companion, frowning, "How can I be a hero when my sidekick is an idiot?"

"Your _sidekick?_" Arthur sputtered, "Who're you calling your sidekick?!"

"You." Alfred retorted, as the stage reset. Picking up a controller, he smacked a button a few times and watched with satisfaction as Zhao Yun sent a few warriors flying with his spear. By this time, Arthur had already lost half his HP and retreated for the camp, searching for dumplings, which restore your life points. Immediately, the warriors that had been assaulting him turned their fury on Alfred's character.

"England! What're you doing?" Alfred squawked, as an enemy general also came to assault him. Zhao Yun's HP was dropping, and fast. "I need backup! I'm getting beaten up by Cao Ren!"

"I'm looking for dumplings!" Arthur shouted back, watching ZhuGe Liang sincerely glide around back at his camp, at a most deliberate pace. "Give me a second!"

"What happened to teamwork?" Alfred yowled, "I'm not going to last much longer!"

"Hold on! I found a pot!"

Eagerly, Arthur guided his character up and whacked the said container. To his immense satisfaction, it held a full-recovery. He swallowed it and had already gotten on his horse to help Alfred, before Cao Ren performed a combo one last time. Zhao Yun groaned and slumped to the floor. Already used to it, Alfred powered past the game-over. He groaned and, still staring at the menu screen, asked, "While we're back at camp looking for dumplings, how do you think Japan is doing?"

Arthur could not think of a reply.

-xxx-

The alarms sounded. Kiku bit back a sigh and, bending over, attempted to assist Yong Soo in pulling himself through a window.

"Hurry!" Kiku hissed, and with one last heave, Yong Soo came through the window. Immediately, he lost his balance and toppled over, crashing into Kiku. Japan gritted his teeth as the back of his head made contact with the cold marble floor. Some help he had.

"Stop, intruders!"

The familiar figures swathed in black rushed in, their guns directed towards the two Oriental countries. Kiku groaned softly in annoyance and, shoving Yong Soo off of him, got to his feet, _katana _in hand. He easily sliced through the group that had made it into the room and, mentioning for Yong Soo to follow him, took off.

The two sprinted through the castle. According to the blueprint that Feliciano had found on the ship, the room of the Indian Ocean was located in the back of the fortress, just beyond a large ballroom. Silently, Kiku disapproved of such a floor-plan. Who needed a ballroom in a stronghold?

"Look out!"

Glancing up at the sound of Yong Soo's voice, Kiku spied a bullet rushing towards him. Hastily, he grasped a suit of armor and dove behind it. He cursed himself for letting his thoughts wander. Korea had already equipped his gloves and taken the stairs onto a balcony.

"This is for nearly killing Aniki!" he shouted suddenly.

Letting out a yell, Yong Soo punched downwards. Immediately, a shout of pain was heard. Whirling around, he kicked another person behind him, the force of his foot lifting up the unfortunate man and sending him, screeching, over the railing. Almost immediately, the first snipe that Yong Soo had assaulted followed in the plummet.

"Th-thank you." Kiku muttered after the energetic nation had returned to him. He was rewarded with a wide grin.

"No problem."

Suddenly veering off to the right, Kiku struck out with the hilt of his sword, forcing open a door. It swung inwards to reveal a short set of gracefully curved stairs that swept inwards into a ballroom. He blinked, a bit astonished at the flickering lights in such an area. A large chandelier hung in the middle of the circular room, framed by smaller lights. Their crystals caused splashes of rainbow radiance, skipping along the slopping walls and entryways equally spaced every few feet. Across the expanse of the dance floor, he glimpsed a gleaming beige door, which was no doubt the entrance to the quarters of the Indian Ocean.

"We've got them!"

Black figures poured in from every entrance, charging across the ballroom in what seemed to Kiku to be an incredibly intimidating dance. Yong Soo had already leapt forward, his hot blood boiling for more combat. For almost an hour, the two Oriental countries fought back to back, renting their way through the enemy.

"Aniki~" Kiku could hear his name being called through the haze of red, "This won't do."

There was a small pause as Kiku shifted, his _katana _cleanly severing through four bodies.

"You're getting a little tired, aren't you?" Yong Soo continued, knowing that he had the silent country's attention, "If we both wear ourselves out with these small fry, there's no way we can even look on the Indian Ocean, much less fight him."

"Your point is?" Kiku asked, a lull in the battle giving him purchase to glance quickly upon his companion. The normally boldly smiling face was quite serious, and the odd bounce in that strand of hair that stuck up was abnormally solemn.

"I think you should go ahead. I can hold back everyone."

Kiku's eyes widened in alarm, "Are you sure?"

The corners of Yong Soo's lips twitched upwards in an attempt at a smile. With a large wink, he gave Kiku a thumbs-up, "Let's go!"

He launched himself wildly into the fray, striking left and right, clearing a path for Japan. Gritting his teeth, Kiku followed him, making a wild dash for the door. He reached it safely and, with a hesitating hand upon the doorknob, couldn't help but glance back at Yong Soo one last time. Shaking himself, he strengthened his steadfastness and stepped inside.

The room was dark, a few candles scattered on tables here and there. There was the sickly sweet scent of an overabundance of perfume in the air as petals wafted here and there. There, stretched out upon a scarlet chaise lounge, was the Indian Ocean.

To say she wasn't anything like Kiku expected would be an understatement. First of all, he didn't expect her to be a "she." And especially not dressed in scanty clothing that would put even Feliciano to shame. It would be hard fighting an enemy that he could barely steel himself to look at. For a wild second, he wished that Yong Soo was here fighting the Indian Ocean instead of him. But he knew that it wasn't to be.

"I've been expecting you, Japan."

The best course of action in a situation such as this would probably be to charge. Without a word, Kiku rushed forwards, his _katana _directed towards her neck. She watched him coming with narrowed eyes, before shifting suddenly, smiling as Kiku's blade embedded itself in her couch. She grasped his wrist as he made to withdraw it.

"Silent, yet feisty," she whispered in his ear, "I like you."

He blushed and wrenched himself out of her grasp, taking a good portion of her couch with him. The Indian Ocean glanced with some dismay at the chunk of her sofa that Kiku had sliced off before drawing her own weapon. A whip as scarlet as her chaise lounge.

"Look at what you've done to my room," she grinned sadistically, "I'm going to have to teach you a lesson for that."

She struck out. Upon reflex, Kiku leveled his sword to protect himself. Suddenly the whip curved, easily sliding under his intended guard to strike him upon his leg. He had to bite his lip to keep from shouting in pain. She sighed, seeming to revel in his agony.

"I do love it when a handsome guy is aching all over."

Again the whip descended. Kiku threw himself to the side, but with a flick of her wrist, the ocean sent the coil of her weapon after him, striking the small of his back. This time, he could not prevent a small moan from escaping his lips, but he forced himself to his feet, hoping his quick counterattack could catch her off her guard. It did, but only momentarily. Recovering herself, she stuck out once more, catching him across the face before the blade of his sword was anywhere near her. Kiku gritted his teeth. With her being able to pick out his every weakness, how was he supposed to win?

-xxx-

Alfred was near hysterics. He had finally reached the boss, Sima Yi, and beaten him around for a bit. The sweet taste of victory had already wafted tantalizingly before his lips. Then the screen just _had _to show, once again, the dreaded: _ZhuGe Liang slain!_

"Why couldn't you hold out a little longer?!"

"I tried, you twat!" Arthur retorted, a vein visibly throbbing in his forehead, "Not my fault you keep rushing into enemy territory without giving a crap about ZhuGe Liang! What do you expect me to do with a fan?"

"If you don't like the fan, then play someone else," Alfred whined, his blue eyes seeming to widen and sparkle pitifully on their own. Arthur glanced in the other direction, feeling his face grow warm. Why the hell was he blushing at a time like this? "What about Gan Ning? He looks strong!"

"You expect me to play a shirtless pirate?" Arthur stammered, "A-are you barking mad? Forget it. It's time for my afternoon tea."

"Aww~" Alfred griped, "Come on, England, wait! One more round."

Arthur completely ignored him, already making for the door. Getting to his feet, Alfred tried to chase him. Instead, his foot got tangled in the wire of the Playstation controllers and, momentarily, he flailed his arms, attempting to regain his balance. Arthur turned around at his unintelligible cries, before his eyes widened as Alfred came tumbling down onto him.

"My foot's stuck!" Alfred wailed, seeming oblivious of Arthur sputtering underneath him, "What do I do? I'm panicking!"

Arthur closed his eyes, regaining his composure enough to think: _If you're smart enough to notice you're panicking, that should be enough to stop, you twat! _Suddenly, through Alfred's continued yowling, he heard Gilbert's voice from outside of the room.

"Don't you think that's a bit impossible? England can't be gay, can he?"

"But the way he looked at America!" Feliciano's tone sounded insisting.

"I still think it's over my head," Gilbert responded, but there was no mistaking the amusement in his voice.

"But it is rather unsettling, since Italy is the expert on love, aru," Wang Yao could barely hide the resignation in his voice.

"England?" Alfred spoke suddenly, drawing the said country back into what was happening in the room he was currently occupying. Alfred had momentarily given up his quest to untangle himself and had lain himself full-length across Arthur, inspecting his complexion, "Your face is pretty red, you know."

"Get off!" Arthur spluttered, coming back to his senses and grasping at Alfred's arms, attempting to shove away the larger country.

"At any rate, I'll put that idea on hold until I…" Gilbert's voice got dangerously close and, before Arthur knew it, the door had swing open and the albino country right in front of him. Gilbert noticed the commotion on the floor and glanced down, his eyes widening, "…see some proof for myself…"

"It's not what you think!" Arthur shouted wildly, in a desperate last attempt to protect his esteem as a gentleman.

A wide smirk had spread itself over Gilbert's face, "This is too awesome!"

"Heeeh~?" Felicano had also reached the room, peering in, "Already?! Prussia, come, come! Let's leave them be~"

"Sure thing." Gilbert grinned at the two one last time and, ignoring Arthur's protests, quit the room.

Alfred sat up, calmly undoing the wires around his ankles. After a few more minutes of struggling, he finally managed to extract his feet. Turning towards Arthur, who had been frozen to the floor in shock, he grinned, "What was that all about?"

Arthur gritted his teeth. Why did he have to go through so much torture and implied teasing from Gilbert while Alfred was completely oblivious? America was really an idiot.

Or was Arthur just really in love?

-xxx-

She had backed him into a corner. Sweat trickled from his forehead, soaking his black bangs and threatening his vision. The rush of his pounding blood roared into his ears. Fear blinded him from every angle. Kiku stretched out his hand, his _katana _feebly before him as the Indian Ocean advanced on him. With a lazy flick of her wrist, she wrapped her whip around the blade and forced the weapon out of his irresolute fingers.

"Man," she said, as she cracked her whip upon him again and again, "You're a total hottie, but I really feel for anyone who's depending on _you_."

Kiku's eyes widened. In his selfish apprehension of his own battle, he had completely disregarded friends that were waiting for him. There was Arthur and Alfred, both of who had probably awoken by now and were most likely worried half out of their wits for the Oriental country. There was Feliciano, who, though only useful when called for retreat, had shown so much uneasiness in withdrawing from the North assault team that he had almost weakened Kiku's resolve to rough it with only two people. There was Wang Yao, who, though brutally bullied by Kiku in the past, offered to fly up as fast as possible to help, completely forgetting about his own useless arm in his concern for other people. And even with the countries that hadn't known him long, or met him for the first time at the meeting, there had been a general unison of goodwill and advice. And Yong Soo. The young idiot was probably still battling off hoards of enemies in naïve trust that his Aniki would be able to pull through. How could Kiku have forgotten all these people? But now reminded, they seemed to flow together, offering the silent nation strength.

"You're right," Kiku responded, "You really should feel for them. I depend so heavily upon others that I never considered the possibility of winning until now." He glanced up, his eyes narrowed, "Until you reminded me of what wonderful people I have supporting me."

"You spoke!" the Indian Ocean squealed, not yet understanding that her defeat was now in sight, "I thought that it'd turn me off, but your voice makes me like you even more!"

She twirled, the red snake once again meandering forward for its final blow. As it neared him, Kiku swallowed the last of his trepidation and reached out, grasping it. The eyes of the Indian Ocean widened in disbelief. Kiku got to his feet, calmly brushing off his pants with his free hand.

"You rely too much on the fear of your enemy…," he told her, "…To care about what would happen if they gained enough courage to actually meet your whip without hesitation. That was your mistake. Now, be gone!"

And swinging the shocked ocean around, he let go of the whip, allowing her to collide with a wall in the room. Her head rammed into it with a sickening thud, before she slid down, motionless. Kiku sighed in fatigue. Now, he had to collect his idiotic companion and get out of here. But the Oriental nation couldn't help but allow himself a small smile. At least he had lived up to everyone's expectations.

A/N *_As requested, there won't be as much battle-heavy chapters anymore~ I hope you enjoy. Please review, ect. ^ ^; Arthur and Alfred make a strong come-back as the main characters in the next chapter. Please look forward to it!_*


	10. Hot, hot misunderstandings

A/N *_Thanks and shout-out to PrinceofTennis'Shaman for being my informal beta reader. After crying in a corner, I think it really strengthened me as a writer~ ;3 No more annoying A/N's in the middle of the story, I promise. Dx I have installed asterisks instead, great master!_

Ch 10

"I'm bored!" Alfred stretched himself out on the floor, complaining to no one in particular. After that odd scenario with being tangled in the PlayStation, Arthur had bustled out of the room, the shade of his face resembling those tomatoes Romano treasures so much. Alfred sighed. What had gotten into England?

Yawning, he got to his feet, and wandered out the room without his mind even registering what he was doing. Before he knew it, he had already wandered through the halls and found himself in front of the kitchen. Through the thin walls of Kiku's house, he could hear Arthur bustling about as he waited for the water to boil, muttering to himself. The sleepy grin on Alfred's face widened and a mischievous glint began to gleam in his eye. Now, what was that "Invincible British Gentleman" mumbling?

-xxx-

_Of three things, Arthur was absolutely positive. First, Alfred was a man. Second, there was a part of him—or maybe all of him—that should've completely repulsed the gentleman in Arthur. And third, Arthur was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him._

Though the poor Brit may have realized his affections with far less zeal than Bella ever did.

"It can't be, can it?" Arthur yanked open a cupboard, looking for the teacups. It was empty. Slam.

"There's no way I could be in love with that idiot!" He pulled open another cupboard. There were dishes in this one. Arthur closed this one more carefully, not wanting to disturb the china inside.

"I'm too old for childish attractions! And even if I _must _have them, I… I…"

He slammed the side of his fist against the closet he had just taken so much care to close a second ago. Of all people, Arthur wanted to be in love with Alfred the least. He had brought the boy up, for goodness sakes! But, who would've known he would've turn out to be such a charismatic, handsome, kind, caring, irresistible… Arthur couldn't let his thoughts go on like this.

Shaking himself, he continued his search for teacups. He opened and closed a few drawers in silence; his findings amounted to nothing but a few chopsticks and napkins. Suddenly, he jerked as the high-pitched squeal of the teapot went off. He almost sprinted to it, hungering for the sweet aroma of tea** to calm his cluttered mind. As he clicked off the stove, a cabinet directly above his head caught his attention. After pulling it open and staring at its contents for a full minute, Arthur allowed himself a small grin. In the middle of the equipment for Japanese ceremonies, there was a typical English tea-set. As he pulled it down, he spied a small note-card leaning upon the teacup. Upon it, there was Kiku's elegant script:

_Dear England-san_:

_I know how much you love tea, so I assumed that one of these days, you will definitely be in my kitchen, bustling through my cupboards. I prepared this set for you. After all, you have done so much for me as an ally, so this is just a small way to pay you back._

_-Japan_

_P.S. I would love to teach you the traditional Japanese tea-making ceremony someday._

Arthur shook his head fondly.

"Japan, that guy…"

-xxx-

Alfred backed away from the door in shock. _Japan_?! Arthur was in love, and with _Japan_? Then, he paused. Why was he reacting in such an extreme fashion? Why should it bother him who Arthur was in love with? But, if it didn't bother him…

…What was this unknown bitter feeling churning in the pit of his stomach?

"Oh, America?"

The screen-door slid open as Arthur's tousled head poked out, "Did you need me?"

Alfred glanced up at him, feeling tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Why was he, the hero, suddenly crying? He turned and sprinted down the hall, his bomber jacket swaying behind him. What was he running from? There were so many unanswered questions, undiscovered feelings swirling around in his heart right now.

He reached the gaming room in safety, though from what, he didn't know. Leaning against the door, he slowly slid to the floor, his legs splayed out before him. He couldn't face Arthur now. That old killjoy had gone and fallen in love with Kiku. Alfred pouted. Had Arthur forgotten everything that _they _had gone through together? Alfred had known Arthur longer than Kiku. Alfred knew Alfred _better _than Kiku. All in all, Alfred was better qualified for Arthur than Kiku. But, what was he doing, having these thoughts?

"Oh god," Alfred whispered, staring in shock at his hands, "I'm in love with England, aren't I?"

-xxx-

Arthur was frozen in his position. Was Alfred _crying_? Strangely enough, the sight of those spacious blue eyes glistening with tears had made his heart pound faster, but Arthur wasn't one to dwell on these thoughts. Willingly, anyhow. The question was why? The idea of Alfred, who was known for his notorious laughter, rushing through the halls of Kiku's house with tears streaming out of his eyes, was _not _an easy one to picture.***

Deliberately, as if there was something to fear, Arthur followed the path Alfred had taken. He had definitely gone back to the gaming room. After all, Alfred took delight in childish things. Whenever the world got too complicated for him, he slipped back into his old innocence, allowing naïveté to wash away the hurt. If anyone knew Alfred well, it was Arthur. And every extra detail caused the Brit to fall more and more helplessly in love.

"America?" Arthur knocked on the door, already able to see Alfred's shadow curled up into a ball against it, "Are you okay?"

There was a silence, before:

"Go away, England! I HATE you!"

His eyes widened, and before he could stop himself, Arthur complied and staggered away.

**A/N *_I _love _Arthur's addiction for tea. I share it, so we two tea-addicts understand each other. ;3 Anyone else?*_

***A/N *_Or to write about, for that matter.*_

A/N *_Hope you enjoyed~ Thanks for the reviews; I loved them. And this fanfic gets more and more fun to write. Ah, misunderstandings are so hot and tragic. USUK~!_*


	11. Who can Resist a hero?

Ch 11

A/N: *_School + Academic Team = Slow Updates. I'm writing this when I'm supposed to be sleeping, because frankly, like the rest of you… I wanted to know what was going to be in Chapter 11 as well! _*

"Go away, England! I hate you!"

It seemed as if every step Arthur took echoed that to him. What had he done? Alfred had always been such an… upbeat person, to say the least. For him to declare an emotion like hatred… It could not have come from a light reason. And it pierced Arthur. The chill of causing pain to a loved one prickled up and down his spine, and he could do nothing about it. What had he done? What _had_ he done?

He reached his room, and even the rustling of the screen door sounded dejected as he slid it open. His bed was a desolate nest in the corner, and even the glaring British flag on the covers could do little to cheer him up. What use was a bed if you didn't have anyone to share it with when you're lonely, to cuddle with when you're cold, or to have a pillow fight with when you're sad? What use was anything when you had no one to love?

Sinking down into a chair, Arthur extended his hand, glaring at it. This was the hand of the man who had dared to hurt America. But this was also the hand of a man who would make it right again. The question was…

…How?

-xxx-

"Idiot."

Alfred sank even further down, now lying down upon the cold wooden floor. Why had Arthur left so easily? Why didn't he stay, protest, or sputter in indignation like he always did? Why didn't he shout out in agony that he loved Alfred and wanted to stay by his side?

"Idiot."

Of course he wouldn't. Despite his smatterings with unicorns, Alfred knew Arthur was a straight-forward person, a man frugal with emotions. He definitely wouldn't fall in love. Especially not with America. And Alfred wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing what sway he held over the younger nation. But, for how long could Alfred keep his feelings bottled up? He had never felt a love so passionate as he did now, the taste of his affection rushing through his bloodstream, intoxicating him with its sweet aroma. It felt if it would flow out of him, erupt into a crazed romance and endless hunger for Arthur. If only…

If only Arthur could tell Alfred he loved him, then everything would be better. Then perhaps this agony that America felt in his chest would finally leave him. He wanted Arthur. He wanted him so bad. But Arthur was probably in his own room right now, and in his heart, he probably felt unicorns were more valuable then Alfred.

"Hey."

Alfred glanced up, but to his disappointment, Gilbert was standing in the doorway, glancing down at him uncomfortably. There was an awkward pause as the two nations regarded each other. Finally, Gilbert cleared his throat.

"I… uh… saw you running down the hall there. I couldn't care less, but… OI!"

Alfred's sapphire eyes had begun swimming with tears again. Gilbert shifted, discomfited, "Don't cry, please. Want to tell me what's wrong? Not that I care or…"

There was a pause as Alfred dried his tears, willing his normal ludicrous character back. Love could wreck havoc upon how a person acted, and as "awesome" as the nations were, in that aspect, even they could not escape flaws that we all experience. Half-succeeded, Alfred managed a watery grin.

"England's just being a jerk, but nothing I can't stand!" Alfred waved his hand, attempting to put on a careless air, "After all, I'm a hero!"

"England's being a jerk?" Gilbert repeated, astonishment widening his shimmering crimson eyes** slightly, "What'd you do? Break his heart or something?"

"More like the other way around…" Alfred muttered without thinking, before covering his mouth.

"What? England broke _your _heart?" Gilbert drew back. He had been so certain that Arthur had been the one in love here, but, if what he just heard was correct, it was really just Alfred. But to think that Alfred could have been rejected by Arthur. It just didn't add up… The whole thing was quite intriguing, really… Not that Gilbert really took an interest, but maybe he should ask Arthur what was going on in his mind about Alfred.

"Yeahh~~" Alfred had given up on silencing himself. The straight-forwardness of the albino was impossible not to confide in. There was just something about Gilbert that told you that he would never judge you, or hide any snide remarks behind you. If he had a complaint, he would just tell you. "He's in love with Japan."

"Japan?! Are you sure?"

"Of cou—" Alfred started, before pausing. What real proof did he have that Arthur was indeed in love with Kiku? The Brit had mentioned his name just once. Had the truth been that Alfred was just so blinded by his own jealousy that every attention paid by Arthur to anyone but himself seem like a misplaced affection? Under the scrutiny of Gilbert, he deliberately shook his head.

"No, I'm not sure… Thanks, Prussia!" He leapt to his feet, preparing to confront Arthur. If everything had been born from Alfred's jealousy, then perhaps he still had a chance. Perhaps… Perhaps… No. He couldn't allow himself to hope that far.

Suddenly, he could hear the sound of slight static. He glanced at Gilbert's collar, where he had attached the radios Kiku had given them. Alfred's and Arthur's were lying about somewhere, probably banished to some distant corner while the nations recuperated.

"Prussia-san, are you there?" It was the voice of Kiku himself.

Gilbert was about to answer, but suddenly, Alfred grabbed the radio off of his collar and shouted, "Japan~~~~! You're okay!!"

"Ah. America-san." Kiku sounded surprised, but pleased, "We have no time to waste, to excuse me if I skip the formalities***. I was actually contacting Prussia-san because I have to request some back-up to defeat the Pacific Ocean… He is currently residing in North America, but I haven't the strength to attempt such a…"

"Say no more!" Alfred responded, "Let me go!"

"Alone, America-san??" Kiku sounded worried, "You and England-san are both so rash. Will you please reconsider?"

"Why should I?" Alfred retorted, "England came alone to save me, didn't he? It is that this hero can do to get rid of the boss for you."

Kiku lapsed into silence and, thrusting Gilbert's radio back to him, Alfred began scrambling for the jets. He would show Arthur. He would defeat the Pacific Ocean, return victorious, and then confess. After all…

…Who can resist a true hero?

**A/N: _Is it just me, or are Gilbert's eyes _really _glorious?_

_***_A/N: _I confess that this chapter isn't my best work, but like Kiku, I have no time to waste. I should be sleeping, lol. FORGIVE ME. ­_T___T;; _I can't write under pressure._

A/N: _That concludes this chapter. I'll try to keep the fighting to a minimum, because I noticed most people just want lovey-dovey scenes, but it adds some dramatic intension to the story with the furthering of Alfred and Arthur, so please forgive me. Look forward to the next chapter!_


	12. The unspoken words

A/N *_Guess who I am? Sorry for the long wait. School is a butt. Heck, it's been so long I've worked on this fic that I even forgot which pairing was supposed to be in it. Uh, as apology, I've decided to make this chapter long. Without further ado, let's get started~_*

Chapter 12

Arthur could fill the chills go down his spine, and he paused, feeling the tingling raise the hair on the back of his neck. An ill premonition washed over him and he shivered, automatically running his fingers across his arm, shielding against some nonexistent chill. Love is such a harsh mistress. As bathed in Alfred's essence as Arthur was, he had grown paranoid, thinking of his love whenever a premonition of doom washed over him; and so Alfred's image immediately entered into Arthur's thoughts. The Brit cursed; what was he doing here? Why wasn't he with Alfred? What bloody hell was this horrible feeling churning within his gut?

He stepped out of the room, and was immediately almost hurtled over by Alfred. Raising his eyes in surprise, he instinctively reached out a hand to stop the younger country. He felt his fingertips touch the soft down of Alfred's jacket and he withdrew them, as if it had burned them.

"A-America. We've got to talk."

Alfred kept running, his mind set on only being able to earn Arthur's affection. The determination roared in his ears, drowning out the three small words Arthur whispered at his retreating back.

"I love you."

-xxx-

The bellowing of the engines offered him comfort. Automatically, Alfred strapped himself in, the almost tangible feeling of doing _something _rushing through him, offering him stability and a purpose. The romantic, desperate part of him told him that if could complete this task, Arthur would be his. That they could finally be with each other. The young country could barely suppress the shudders of excitement ripping through his frame.

He settled himself at the wheel, feeling the jet purr beneath him. The same way England would purr when… No. That day would never come if he didn't focus on the task before him. He shoved, feeling the plane lift into the air.

As he sped through the clouds, he closed his eyes, reminiscing. It was just as well that the last person he had seen before he embarked on his heroic mission was Arthur. They had known each for a while now, hadn't they? His mind traveled back to that clear summer day when he had been playing among the reeds by the lake, and how Francis and Arthur had found him. Alfred smiled, still remembering the fleeting expressions of joy, horror, and excitement Arthur had experienced as he had fought for the younger country. It was just as well that he had been able to win over Alfred. They had gone through so much together, had seen each other in their worst and bests times; it was just as well. Suddenly, Alfred could feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes, and he dabbed them away impatiently. What was he doing, getting sentimental _now, _when there was as of yet no cause to be so?

Even as all his heart yearned for Arthur, there was no doubt in the young country's mind that Arthur would never love him if he didn't prove himself first. The three words Arthur had whispered were not only soft, but were repelled by America's own desire to be the hero. And Alfred's tears had not only been in sentiment, but in the pain of what he believed to be unrequited love…

-xxx-

Arthur stood there, fists clenched, cheeks burning. What the hell did he just say?

"I…? love…?" he stammered to himself, staring at his own hand in disbelief.

"Cool down, England."

Arthur spun around, and to his utter horror, Gilbert leaned against a wall, smirking. Upon figuring out that he now had Arthur's attention, his grin widened.

"Who are you confessing to?"

"It… it… it's none of your business!" Arthur growled, and Gilbert held up his hands.

"Relax, I'm too awesome to waste my time picking a fight with you."

"Then what the bloody hell do you...?"

The grin faded off the other country's face, and he glared seriously into Arthur's eyes. The Brit drew back slightly in surprise, "Oi, England… do you like America?"

The nervous laughter that came out of the Arthur's mouth surprised even himself, "Like? I suppose; we've been thrown together so long that…"

"You know that's not what I mean," Gilbert cut him off impatiently, "Love, England, _love._"

"W-w-what in the world would give you such a blasphemous idea?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes. The bright tomato red of Arthur's face already more than told him the answer. He allowed himself a little self-glory in the huge role that he would play in bringing two of his friends together; man, he was awesome.

"If you don't want to tell me the truth, it's fine. Just listen to what I have to say. America is now flying for his home; the leader of the oceans is lying in wait there. I don't think he can take him by himself. And, England, he did all this for…"

"THAT IDIOT!"

Arthur spun around, fuming. So that's why Alfred had been in such a hurry. So that's why Arthur had been feeling so frightened. Why couldn't he have noticed earlier? The Brit cursed both himself and Alfred in one breath. Why did the younger country have to be so rash? This would be the second time Arthur would be stuck saving him.* Then he softened. Perhaps, this time, if he could save Alfred once more, perhaps Alfred would accept him. Perhaps the younger country could see him in some way other than some stogy old man with funny eyebrows. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

Gilbert stared at Arthur's retreating back, his last word unspoken. _You. _Then, he shook his head. It might make things more interesting. After all, he knew Alfred and Arthur loved each other when they themselves didn't.

"I really _am _awesome."

*A/N *_In the same fanfic! Wao, I need new ideas. _

A/N _*Don't kill me for this, but it make take this long again (or even longer) for the next update. I'll work as hard as I can to keep up my grades and fanfics. Ganbarimasu- __ガんばります！_*


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